Rockaway Riptides – coming of age book by local author

Rockaway Riptides a new publication of local author Harriet Grayson. It’s described as a coming-of-age book for all ages and all times set in the turbulent 1960’s during Vietnam protests, racial riots and Bob Dylan turning electric at the Newport Folk Festival. An ideal novel for people who work with teenagers, live with teenagers, and for those who remember their high school years – for better or worse. 

Rockaway Riptides takes place in a sliver of a peninsula jutting off of Long Island, the Rockaways felt protected from the raging currents. Living in an isolated part of New York City, the citadel that nourished and sheltered the young people was Far Rockaway High School. Built of the sturdiest materials in the 1920’s, the tribal tendencies of its residents and the tempestuous winds of war in southeast Asia, were kept under control by its teachers and administrators.

The triumphs and tribulations of youth are on full display. The adults in the lives of the young people try to shield them from the harsh realities of these tumultuous times. The heroine of the novel is the former Far Rockaway High School principal who tries to steer the students down the path of good citizenry and onto productive lives. Music is the glue that brings them together; whatever their race, religion or ethnicity.

Rockaway Riptides captures this period of instability as seen through the eyes and experiences of the senior high school class. Tragedy and triumph shape the lives of these young people during this difficult period in American history. Relive how young and old faced the twin whirlwinds of a war 10,000 miles away and a racially and ethnically divided city.

Grayson says, “Most of you are familiar with my work on grants writing or perhaps the Literary Salons of Westerly, RI. During this Covid-19 pandemic I turned to fiction writing. Political and racial unrest are not new news. Rockaway Riptides revolves through the eyes of teenagers on the cusp of adulthood faced with assassinations, race riots and the War in Vietnam. Available via Amazon or www.oceanbreezepress.net – Zoom Author Talks welcome.  

About the Author

Harriet Grayson has lived two lives as a novelist and playwright and a writer of non-fiction principally on small business issues, grants writing and fundraising. Her non-fiction books under her real name Harriet Grayson include “Guide to Grants Writing for Non-Profits”, “Guide to Government Grants & Vendor Opportunities”, “Practical Guide to Events Planning”, “Special Events Planning for Non-Profits” and “Government Opportunities for Small Business.” Her fiction books are usually under her pen name, Anastasia Goodman.

Her travels to St. Petersburg (Leningrad), Russia and Israel helped to bring a realistic tone to the mystery novels. She has walked the streets of Jerusalem, rode on canals through St. Petersburg, listened to concerts in Asher Levy Park in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn and rode a bicycle on the Coney Island and Rockaway Boardwalks. Her own Russian ethnic heritage and her volunteer work with Soviet-era Jewish immigrants through Jewish Federation shaped the novels’ narrative. Their many surprising stories about coming to America and what it was like to live in this country as a Russian immigrant provided insights that are often incorporated into the novels.